the_gardens_apple: (Wind)
Misa Almassy aka Lilith ([personal profile] the_gardens_apple) wrote in [community profile] howlingplayground2020-07-14 10:53 pm

(no subject)

Misa is waiting in the only place she can be hidden and not found on this Death Star: Lord Vader's quarters. She'd tried to meditate earlier and had been, well, poked because the Emperor would be able to find her then. She hates not having anything to do, but apparently, her nervous energy blends in with all the other nervous energy on this... horrific monstrosity.

She sighs and leans against the door, her head tilted back as she stares at the ceiling. She concentrates just enough to know that a fight has started. So. Skywalker had shown up? Good. But that doesn't mean that she's not going to help. Oh, she's not stupid enough to go marching into the throne room and trying to decapitate Palpatine - though it's tempting - but she knows that her Lord cannot survive this without her. Her visions had shown her that much, though she's not sure what to think about them.

Another sigh as she begins to pace again. She needs to get out of here, to get somewhere... Her head snaps up. Something had happened to her Lord. Something... Alarms start going off all over the Death Star and she says his orders be damned, she's not staying here. He needs her.

The entire base is in disarray. Stormtroopers and officers are running all which way. She doesn't care about them. She needs to find him. Racing down corridors that she doesn't find familiar, trailing his fading Force presence, Misa is not going to let him die. She doesn't know that she can help him, but she's going to try!

She skids around a corner, slamming into a trio of Stormtroopers that fall as she uses the Force to right herself. Palpatine is dead. She can tell that. He's dead! She stops, reorienting herself and then dashes off again, sliding around another corner. THERE! There he is. Being helped by... Who is that?

But then the guy falls, and she can't hear what he's saying to her Lord as she pounds her way through the people between them and her. She skids to her knees, just as he's reaching for the helmet. "Don't!" She says, panting. "Don't, you'll kill him!" She puts her hand on Lord Vader's shoulder. "And I'm not going to let you die." She whispers as the Force flows through her, slowly - painstakingly slowly - trying to stabilize her Lord. "We need to get him on the ship and into his bed." She says, not looking at the man who had been carrying Vader. "Please, help me." She waves at the black shuttle that is Lord Vader's private ship that they'd been headed for.
neverjoinyou: (oldest emo!teen ever no wait that's kylo)

[personal profile] neverjoinyou 2020-12-29 10:37 pm (UTC)(link)
He takes a moment before unstrapping himself and coming back. The landing had been fine, the least momentous thing that's happened in the past forty-eight hours.

But it might turn out to be the first step on something even more significant. Because this is the first act he's committed that does not have a destined end. Oh, whatever the Force has in mind, he'll learn. But this is not the end of anything. It's not the consequence of an avalanche that had begun when he'd brought Artoo into the workshop. It's something new, the thing that comes after.

And it's actually been years since Luke has thought about 'after' in anything but the dreamiest of terms.

Taking a deep breath, he steps to the back of the ship, taking in the apparatus keeping his father alive, thinking vaguely that this was not the way things were 'supposed' to have gone. He's fiercely grateful for that.

"You'll definitely not want to get caught in that," he says, eyeing her uniform. He doesn't know what it all means, or who she is, but he has no desire to pursue it right now. It's going to be enough of a challenge keeping Darth Vader alive--in more ways than one.

While she's searching for her clothes, he moves to his father's side. There is time, now, to take him in. To look at the fissures of scarring of what he can still see of the man's face. To be next to the sheer bulk of him, when he is not trying to run or fight or plead.

"Father," he says quietly, a lingering question in his voice. For as much as Anakin has done for him, there are still questions about what Luke is to him, exactly.
nouskaiananki: (w/Luke)

[personal profile] nouskaiananki 2020-12-30 03:10 am (UTC)(link)
He knows she wouldn't willingly - or unwillingly in most cases - were the cheap, manufactured fabric Imperial uniforms are made from. He knows she's itching to get out of them. "Go find somewhere to change." It's a gentle dismissal but also about protecting Luke from objecting to Misa simply stripping into her actual clothing. The girl had been raised to have no body modesty when he'd found her. He'd long since had to give up his own in the face of medical droids - eventually, he'd been able to ignore the fact she was looking at him to strip and give her better access to what she was working on.

Being from Tatooine and not a slave, Luke...was likely unused to casual nudity.

"My son." Distantly, he is aware of another situation like this. Himself in Luke's place, his mother in his own. She'd called to him the same way. He wasn't really meaning to echo her, but he did understand now more the emotion behind the words. "My beautiful son." His. Padmé's. The beautiful, compassionate boy so like Anakin she'd claimed to know she was carrying. He offered up his hand, inviting him to close into the space. To be closer.
neverjoinyou: (dad no)

[personal profile] neverjoinyou 2020-12-30 04:19 am (UTC)(link)
There's a reddish tinge to his cheeks, though it's dark in the main area of the ship. Is it the fact the girl had been about to strip? Or was it the later words of his father, inviting him, accepting him in?

Odd to think he craves it so, given the last time Vader had issued an invitation and Luke had rejected it with all the strength left to him. But this is different. Everything is different. He steps closer, unafraid, reaching for Anakin's hand and weaving his fingers between the gloved ones. This hand had caused so much death. And had saved his life. Luke's love for his father is the core of a thousand suns, steady and deep and unquestionable. But he does not know him.

"What she did," he begins, because there is so much to talk about but he is aware that he does not know how much time there is, "will it... cure you? Are you...?"

...going to live? he does not finish.
nouskaiananki: (Default)

[personal profile] nouskaiananki 2020-12-30 05:29 am (UTC)(link)
He reached out, locating Misa. Making sure, double checking, her location and her safety. He can almost feel her desire and he approves, for reasons different than her own. Burning the uniform would be a good signal of what she isn't.

Luke's fingers in his makes him sure to keep his touch light. Gentle. He still pulls, dragging Luke a bit closer to him. "She stabilized. There's no curing this body, Palpatine's plans hinged on that, on my not being able to survive outside the Empire and it's resources." But Vader had planned around him as best as possible and had worked around him. Had found a way. "I'm not going to die tonight at least." He knows the question. Tries to reassure without lying.
neverjoinyou: (jedi shit)

[personal profile] neverjoinyou 2021-01-02 04:11 am (UTC)(link)
Luke nods, taking that for what it's worth. He knows it won't be easy--in any sense. But he knows that he is there, and he will fight. And, apparently, so will the girl.

As will Anakin.

There is no fear in him now, no doubt. He believes in his father, believes that no matter how difficult, he has turned. That it is not simply possible, but true. The Dark Side is not permanent. And the certainty he feels, the unflagging loyalty, is palpable around him.

"Then we will stay here for the night," he says, "make a plan in the morning. What do you need? What do..." He glances over his shoulder at the hatch. "Who is she?"
nouskaiananki: (Unmasked)

[personal profile] nouskaiananki 2021-01-02 01:28 pm (UTC)(link)
Misa is as settled as current circumstances allow. She won't be truly settled until he is inside a Bacta tank, her parents near-by, and positions clarified. He knows this. He knows it will be some time - days in the least - until that is the case. There isn't much to be done there. His bacta tank had gone done on the I love Kriffing Stupid Ideas 2.0

While his attention is never completely off Misa - she's his and injured and with a limited physical range or not, he'd lethally defend was what his - he can shift more of his attention of Luke. Allows his presence to wrap around and bump against Luke. Not nearly as cold, as Dark, but not yet all warmth or Light - it's not a heel-turn, but a slow bleed that's been happening since he found out who Luke Skywalker was. Padmé's son. But he's reflecting warmth at least - hours ago, that wasn't the case.

"Time. Rest. Bacta eventually. You've done what we needed Luke." Was he saying his name a lot? Too much? He didn't know. He could say it openly, to the boy, and he enjoyed saying it, and how being in Luke's presence and saying his name made him feel. "Her name is Misa. I found her years ago when she was a child, and kept her instead of giving her over to Palpatine." The rest - the system she was from, that she'd been a slave - those things were for Misa to decide to share or not and to whom, not for him to tell.
neverjoinyou: (Default)

[personal profile] neverjoinyou 2021-01-07 01:01 am (UTC)(link)
His mind is racing, and there are too many thoughts to handle at once--this is probably why he should be spending more time meditating, but he can't do that now. There is so much uncertainty ahead of them, so many things to be decided and figured out. The Death Star is gone, but the war is not over. His friends don't know what happened to him--they might even think he was on the station when it blew.

Would Leia feel it, if he had died? He can feel her, on this planet. Her presence is constant now, even more since he told her their secret.

But there's his father, who needs supplies. There's the girl, who Anakin 'kept' and Luke doesn't even know what that means. And there's the feeling radiating from Anakin, one Luke does not shy away from because he is no longer afraid of being 'tainted.' He has made one decision at least, and that is that he will never turn his father away. Or shut him out.

He turns to watch Misa as she rummages. "Surely we have rations," he says, a bit inanely but he's used to rations. Fresh meat is something he barely knows what to do with. "And I can get bacta from the Alliance. Whatever we need."

He has not, of course, thought any of this through.
nouskaiananki: (Unmasked)

[personal profile] nouskaiananki 2021-01-07 03:19 am (UTC)(link)
Luke's response to Misa gets something akin to a laugh from him. "She'd rather eat her hand." Not that there were many rations aboard his ship - he didn't need them and stormtroopers carried their own. There'd be enough for one person, barely, and not split between two people. One of which needed calories due to healing him.

"And I'm not sure the Alliance will share an expensive supply with me. That's what she's worried about." It would serve him right to be refused, he knows. "I'll be fine without it for a while. It's not the first time I've had to wait." After Palpatine turned his temper on him, he means. No need to say that - he'd rather Misa have never known. He doesn't want Luke to know those details.

"She's correct in that you both need to eat."
neverjoinyou: (daaaaark)

[personal profile] neverjoinyou 2021-01-09 01:22 am (UTC)(link)
Luke's mouth sets into a little frown. "They're not that bad," he grumbles, but that's mostly because it's what he's used to. It does suddenly strike him that it's been at least 24 hours without food, maybe more. He's not sure anymore. He's been running on pure adrenaline and cussedness.

But he can't rest yet.

"I want to learn," he says earnestly. "It's not something I even knew was possible. My masters--" He cuts himself off, glancing at his father. There will be things to discuss.

Later.

"But I'm all right. Really. We need to figure out what we're going to do. My..." He swallows, glancing up at Anakin again. "My sister will be worried. My friends. I need to figure out how to ... what to tell them..."

It's a lot, especially after the past several hours.
nouskaiananki: (Lecture Mode)

[personal profile] nouskaiananki 2021-01-09 03:21 am (UTC)(link)
"Only if you are used to homemade and made from scratch fresh food. Which she is." Yes, she's being snobby about food, and clothing, and he knows. It doesn't bother him - despite the utilitarianism of his clothing, the materials are of the highest quality, and honestly? Misa's desire for them reminded him of Padmé in a way that wasn't designed to cause pain. So he'd never attempted to curb it. Freema had taken care of her anyway - leading to Vader having to do nothing but bury the costs in his books.

And stealing from Palpatine? Was fun.

"Go check-in. Both of you." He'd be fine for a little while. "Luke you need to eat. And sleep." Misa didn't need to be told.
neverjoinyou: (male model)

(sorry about the delay, my brain, y'all)

[personal profile] neverjoinyou 2021-01-21 10:35 pm (UTC)(link)
He's aware of the way Misa pulls away, both physically and emotionally, and he swears he'll pay more attention to her. In a bit. She deserves it, but at this moment, there is so much swirling around him, so many thoughts and feelings to process, adding another person is difficult. And Vader, Anakin, his father is right here.

And he's so, so tired. He realizes that suddenly, that he doesn't remember really when last he had truly rested.

"I'll join you in a minute," he says to her retreating back, and becomes vaguely aware of her setting up camp--probably more than he actually requires. He turns back to his father, squeezing his hand again.

"We'll figure this out," he says. "I know it won't be simple. I'm not going to abandon the cause." He bites his lip. "But I'm never going to abandon you, either."

With that, he turns to the cockpit and the comms. He sits for a long moment, breathing deeply, trying to clear his mind of all the layers of confusion the past 48 hours have bred. And keys in the codes that will take him to Leia's comm.

She answered right away, but with a great deal of noise behind her, her voice breathless.

"Luke," she breathes out before he can greet her, and he smiles. Of course she knew. "I knew you had gotten off the Death Star. I knew it." Her voice holds a tremble that indicates she's known, but not believed, and that's okay. He barely did, himself.

"I did. And I'm okay, Leia. I'm just gonna need need some time." He explains that he was forced to land further away than he wanted, but didn't need a rescue. He hoped she believed him about needing time, that the Jedi mystery surrounding his actions would hold. And promise to tell her what had happened when he returned.

He did not like lying to her, but he did not see any this conversation ended well if it began, "I found our father, notorious war criminal, and he's alive."

He walks back to his father, presses his hand again. "I'll check on Misa," he murmurs, and walks out to the camp.
nouskaiananki: (Join me)

...i've waited YEARS, literally. you're good.

[personal profile] nouskaiananki 2021-01-22 08:18 pm (UTC)(link)
Luke wasn't the only one who noticed Misa had withdrawn, and Vader could guess at the cause. He would have rather have told her about Leia personally, but there hadn't been time or opportunity. He'd address it with her later but right now he can't.

And keeps Luke's hand until he squeezes it again, and (only somewhat) reluctantly allowed him to pull away to make his call, or calls. And tried to reassure himself that Luke wouldn't go to the trouble he has to allow the ship to be swamped with Rebellion troops now. If he's honest, he's more concerned about what would happen to Misa than himself - best case, he's too valuable to be summarily executed. Misa has no such protection, even if he won't allow her to be injured. Never mind if he does, the Rebellion may well be the least of the threat against his life.

Instead, he waits until she heads outside and takes advantage of Luke being distracted to brush against her, wrapping his presence around her possessively, almost with a snarl of 'mine'. It's less a scream and more a growl. Until Luke is settled for the night, it's as much as he can do to reassure her.

When Luke returns he's managed to pull himself up into a recline, and reaches out for him, to pull him in. He's not pleasant to be around - pulling back to what he was Before, he's still cold and Dark, still fighting his way back and all too well aware of the mythology of someone like him going from Jedi to Fallen Jedi to Sith and back. There is a danger to all of them if he fails.

He can't fail.

Beyond what he is in the Force, he's so much mechanical, padded and stiff that he only has a human form, not a feel. Too much armor and electronics to be mistaken for anything else. Still, he reaches out, squeezes Luke's hand and resists pulling him to sit with him. "Please do. But don't push her."
neverjoinyou: (what's over there)

[personal profile] neverjoinyou 2021-02-05 04:35 am (UTC)(link)
He'd let Anakin pull him closer, not resisting. He's exhausted, and maybe he'd be more wary if he had the strength left to worry--but he'd made his choice, and he had paid for it but his father had paid more and there's nothing left for him to doubt, between them. No matter what it feels like, or how little human flesh there is to feel. It doesn't matter. None of it matters.

He has a father.

But he must see to his other needs, and after promising he would not push, he finds Misa and takes the offered peach, staring at it for a moment as if its presence is a miracle.

"You don't need to tell me anything you don't want to," he says gently. "And the same goes this way. I know this... isn't how you saw your day going."
nouskaiananki: (bearing down on you)

[personal profile] nouskaiananki 2021-02-05 01:57 pm (UTC)(link)
He's relieved Misa is trying to be reassuring herself, he knows she's withdrawing for a reason. And he needs to address that. But for the moment, he can enjoy holding on to his son. Eventually, he may be able to hold Luke outside this suit, to feel his son's head against his shoulder. His son.

There is a part of him that doesn't want to sleep, just in case this is another dream. He's not sure he would want to survive, if it were.

Instead, he keeps a light feel on the pair of them, and rests - while also sensing the area around them. Just in case.
neverjoinyou: (slight smile)

[personal profile] neverjoinyou 2021-02-07 04:42 am (UTC)(link)
He cannot help but laugh gently, disbelievingly, at her words. Shaking his head, he follows her gaze up and around the trees, and then looks back down and deliberately puts his good hand over hers as it rests on his glove. She's warm in the Force too, despite everything she's been through--and he's certain it's been more than he can know.

"I didn't expect to live through today," he confesses. "That's why I laughed just now. I knew Father wouldn't kill me; but I assumed the Emperor would. Honestly, I hadn't made any plans after tonight. So yeah, I understand you... just being here is amazing."

He takes a deep breath.

"You don't have to worry that I'm going to let anything happen to him. Or you. I don't know yet how, or what we'll do. But I didn't... I haven't gone through all of this just to throw it away. You don't need to worry." He narrows his eyes, watching her. "Or fuss over me."
nouskaiananki: (bearing down on you)

[personal profile] nouskaiananki 2021-02-10 07:05 pm (UTC)(link)
Vader himself hadn't wanted to die. It's not that he doesn't understand people die, he does, of course. And despite Misa's visions and worries, he was willing to die if he had to save Luke from the fate Palpatine had planned for him. He resented it heavily, the indignity of dying under Palpatine's hand but he had accepted it might be a reality. But it hadn't been THIER reality and he was...

happy? Relieved certainly and for all he was paranoid, he was relaxed in a way Misa wouldn't have ever known him to be. Luke's mirth caused a shift in his attention, that bright, almost blinding Light he remembered from being a boy. It drew him, his presence shifting like a sand dune, to shift and roll and envelop Luke, brushing his presence against him like a familiar tusk cat. Attention and affection but still prowling the area.

Comfortable. He was comfortable. It was strange.
neverjoinyou: (sly)

[personal profile] neverjoinyou 2021-02-15 02:19 am (UTC)(link)
Luke eyes her wryly. "I'm not asking for an apology for you being nice to a stranger," he clarifies. "I just... I know this situation is new. For all of us. I'm just trying to tell you I don't intend to do anything that will endanger either of you."

He just needs to figure out what that means. But he's reaching the end of any brainpower he's ever had, and inspiration isn't going to come to him tonight.

"I just want you to understand I care about him. I know you've...been around longer. But I'm not going to squander the faith he's put in me."

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lol sorry Misa!

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